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Books for Keeps 230 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 230 - May 2018
BfK 230 May 2018

This issue’s cover illustration is from The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. Thanks to Usborne Publishing for their help with this May cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 230 May 2018 .

BfK No. 230 Articles

Editorial 230

Get ready for Empathy Day: Miranda McKearney looks forward to 12thJune
Rebels with a Cause: Fen Coles on The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction

Rebels with a Cause: Fen Coles on the Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction
How do we measure up?

Children’s books as a mirror to society, how do they measure up? asks Chitra Soundar
Authograph 230 Brian Conaghan

Brian Conaghan interview by Joy Court
Windows into Illustration: Kate Hindley

Windows into Illustration: Kate Hindley
11 of the best football reads for children

Ten of the Best: the best football books chosen by Jim Sells of the National Literacy Trust
Beyond the Secret Garden ‘In Times of Peril’: Britons, Asians, Muslims

Part three in Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor’s series looking at representations of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic voices in children’s books.
The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist 2018

The Kate Greenaway Medal 2018 shortlist appraised by Derek Brazell
The CILIP Carnegie Medal shortlist 2018

The Carnegie Medal shortlist appraised by Nicholas Tucker
Hidden: from page to stage

Miriam Halahmy on the new adaptation of her novel Hidden

An interview with Lauren St John

Michelle Pauli interview Lauren St John
Two Children Tell: Filling in the Gaps

Two Children Tell: Filling in the picture book gaps
I Wish I’d Written: Sarah Govett

I Wish I’d Written… Sarah Govett chooses
Good Reads 230

Good Reads for Empathy Day, chosen by primary school pupils

Classics in Short No 129: The Little Grey Men, Last of the Little People

The Little Grey Men, Last of the Little People
The Little Rebels Award in 2018

Judge Darren Chetty reflects on the 2018 Little Rebels Prize.
A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH JULIA GRAY, AUTHOR OF LITTLE LIAR

The author answers questions on her novel Little Liar
AN INTERVIEW WITH 2018 CARNEGIE MEDAL WINNER GERALDINE McCAUGHREAN

The 2018 Carnegie Medal winner interviewed by Nicholas Tucker

Editor's Choice

The Electrical Venus
Julie Mayhew
(Hot Key Books)
4

Mim’s life is with Grainger’s Side Show along with a “dwaff”, a learned pig and Alex, a boy who has only one arm. Welcome to the world of Georgian entertainment. But this is also the Age of the Enlightenment when scientific discoveries and...

read more

New Talent

The House with Chicken Legs
Sophie Anderson
(Usborne Publishing Ltd)
5

A beautiful and original take on the Tale of Baba Yaga.

Marinka has lived with her grandmother, Baba Yaga all her life, helping her to lead the dead through The Gate to the stars and to enjoy one last wonderful meal together and hear the...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 230

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+

Under 5s

  • The Rhythm of the Rain
    Grahame Baker-Smith
    5

  • Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert
    Morag Hood
    5

  • The Story of Tantrum O’Furrily
    Cressida Cowell
    5

  • Colour My Days
    Ross Collins
    4

  • Baby Bird
    Andrew Gibbs
    4

  • Is it a Mermaid?
    Candy Gourlay
    3

Ages 5-8

  • The Rhythm of the Rain
    Grahame Baker-Smith
    5

  • After the Fall. How Humpty Dumpty got back up again
    Dan Santat
    5

  • Space Tortoise
    Ross Montgomery
    5

  • Juniper Jupiter
    Lizzy Stewart
    3

  • The Nothing to See Here Hotel
    Steven Butler
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Noah Scape Can’t Stop Repeating Himself
    Guy Bass
    5

  • Charlie and Me: 421 Miles from Home
    Mark Lowery
    5

  • Happyville High: Geek Tragedy
    Tom McLaughlin
    4

  • Kat Wolfe Investigates
    Lauren St John
    4

  • The Secret of the Night Train
    Sylvia Bishop
    4

  • HerStory: 50 women and girls who shook the world
    Katherine Halligan
    4

  • She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History
    Chelsea Clinton
    4

  • Dog Town
    Luize Pastore
    3

  • The Nothing to See Here Hotel
    Steven Butler
    3

Ages 10-14

  • The House with Chicken Legs
    Sophie Anderson
    5

  • Rebound
    Kwame Alexander
    5

  • The Goose Road
    Rowena House
    5

  • Rose Rivers
    Jacqueline Wilson
    4

  • The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day
    Christopher Edge
    4

  • The Wild Folk
    Sylvia Linsteadt
    4

  • A Good Day for Climbing Trees
    Jaco Jacobs
    4

  • Child I
    Steve Tasane
    4

  • Flamingo Boy
    Michael Morpurgo
    3

Ages 14+

  • Stranger
    Keren David
    5

  • Me Mam. Me Dad. Me.
    Malcolm Duffy
    5

  • In Paris With You
    Clementine Beauvais
    5

  • Skylarks
    Karen Gregory
    4

  • The Electrical Venus
    Julie Mayhew
    4

  • The Girl in the Broken Mirror
    Savita Kalhan
    4

  • On a Scale of One to Ten
    Ceylan Scott
    4

  • Ash Princess
    Laura Sebastian
    4

BfK News

LOLLIES 2020 SHORTLIST THE YEAR’S FUNNIEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, has announced the shortlist for the 2020 Laugh Out Loud Awards (The Lollies), the awards that celebrate the funniest children’s books.

Lollies logo

read more...
HOOD, RUNDELL AND REYNOLDS UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2019

Morag Hood, Katherine Rundell and Jason Reynolds have been announced as the winners of the UKLA Book Awards 2019 for I Am Bat, The Explorer and Long Way Down respectively.

read more...
CATHERINE JOHNSON WINS LITTLE REBELS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

The Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) is delighted to announce that the winner of this year’s Little Rebels Children’s Book Award for Radical Fiction is Catherine Johnson for her book, Freedom (Scholastic 2018).

Catherine Johnsonn photo Andy Donohoe

read more...
CRESSIDA COWELL ANNOUNCED AS NEW WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S LAUREATE

‘Books are transformative because of their unique ability to develop three key magical powers: intelligence, creativity and, most important of all, empathy. Words are power; let’s take magic seriously.’ Cressida Cowell, Waterstones Children’s Laureate

read more...
STEVEN CAMDEN WINS CLiPPA 2019

Steven Camden photo by Ellie Kurttz

read more...
MUHAMMAD KHAN WINS 20TH BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Branford Boase Award for outstanding debut novel for children is Muhammad Khan for his YA novel I Am Thunder. Set up in memory of author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase who both died in 1999, the award also recognizes his editor Lucy Pearse of Macmillan Children’s Books.

read more...
SLA School Librarian of the Year 2019 Announced

Ros Harding School Librarian of the Year

Ros Harding of The King’s School Chester has been awarded the honour of the School Librarian of the Year 2019. 2019 YA Book Prize winner Sara Barnard presented Ros Harding with her award at a special ceremony at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington, London Kensington on 27 June.

read more...
The Children's Book Award 2019

Earlier this month, Arree Chung was named overall winner of The Children’s Book Award 2019. His book Mixed, which he wrote and illustrated, also won the Books for Younger Children category before going on to win the overall prize.

read more...
WINNERS OF THE 2019 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The winners of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced at a ceremony at The British Library, hosted by broadcaster and writer Konnie Huq.

read more...
BRANFORD BOASE AWARD SHORTLIST 2019

The children’s authors to watch: shortlist for the 2019 Branford Boase Award announced

Branford Boase Award shortlist 2019

read more...
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